Traffic signaling device



H. G. LEE. TRAFFIC SIGNALING DEVICE.4 APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 192|.

1.437.762. Patented Dec. 5,1922.

, sure created within the intake manifold -of Patented Dec, 5, 1922..

narran STATES 1,431,762 PATENT oFFlcE.

HARRY Gr. LE, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNDR '10 JOSEPH PERRON, 0F

SPAR'JJA,WISCONSIN.

TRAFFIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application led April 2, 1921. Serial No. 457,925.

the city of Tacoma, county of King, lState of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traffic Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in traiic signaling devices of that character adapted for use on automobiles or other .ino-

tor driven vehicles, and whereby the driver of a vehicle may make known to trafiic officers, pedestrians, or the drivers of following and approaching vehicles, when ,he is about to turn or stop and the direction he intends to take.

The principal object of the present inven-- tion is to provide a device of the above character that will be easy to operate, which will be attractive, and comprehensive in use and which can be made at a relatively small cost as compared'to devices of similar character now in use.

tis ia further object of the invention to provide a traiiic signal of the character above stated, wherein direction indicating arms are operated by a utilizaton of the vacuum presmechanism, and which may be adjusted to different positions to effect operation of both signal' arms simultaneously or individually.

In accomplishing of the invention, have provided the im- Aproved details of constnuction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinlFigure 1 is a si e elevation of an automobile equipped with a traffic signal embody# ing the present invention; part o-f the vehicle being .shown in section for better illusl tration.

Figure 2 is a front view of the signaling device, with 'one half of the front wall removed from the housing and a cylinder being shown in section to illustrate the signal arm controlling mechanism.

-Figure 3 is a side lview of the signal device.

these and other objects Figure 4 is a front view of the control valve.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the valve.

Referring mo-re in detail to the several views of the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or like parts- Y 1 designates the signal arm housing. This preferably is of metal construction, is of rectangular form, approximately four times as long as it is wide, and when in use iS mounted vertically at a suitable point either at the front o-r rear of a vehicle, or if it is'so desired, such devices may be used at both ends of the vehicle to signal people forwardly or rearwardly of the vehicle. It is preferred that thedevices be mounted upon the fenders of the vehicle and, for the purpose of mounting, I have equipped the housing at its lower end with a flange 2, and at opposite sides near the upper end with laterally extending wings 3 which are adapted to receive screws .or bolts, as at 4, whereby the 'housings may berigidly supported.

Mounted pivotally within the housing, near its upper end, on a stud 6 that is fixed within the rear wall thereofare two direction indicating arms 7 and 8 which are adapted to swing outwardly in opposite directions from the housing, through longitudinally extending slots 9 in the side walls i thereof. When not extended, the arms depend vertically within the housing, and

when in signaling position theyrextend horizontally from the housing, lbeing limited in their upwardly swinging movement by engaging the upper ends of the slots 9. Stops 10 and 11 are provided within the lower. end of the housing against which the arms engage to limit their inward movement. v

The means provided for actuating the arms to extended position consists of two vertically mounted cylinders 13 and 14, fixed Within the upper end of the housing and respectively connected by means of conduits 15 and 16, with a three-way valve 17, which in turn is connected by means of a conduit 18 with the intake manifold 19 of the vehicles engine; indicated at 20.

' t Within the cylinders are pistons 21 and 22 and these are connected by means of links 23 and 24 respectively with Athe arms 7 and 8 in such manner that actuation of the pistons to their Yinner limit within thecylinders will effect movement of the arms, with which they are connected, to their signaling positions.

The valve 17, which is located at a point accessible to the driver of the vehicle, has openings at opposite sides with which the conduits 15 and 16 are connected, and has an opening midway of these connections with which the conduit 18, leading to the manifold of the engine, is connected. The valve plug 25 is operated rotatably within the valve casing by means of a lever 26 fixed to the valve stem 27 and has a transverse channel v28 therethrou h and a laterally directed channel 29'lea' ing from the channel 28 these channels being so disposed within the plug that by rotation of the latter to a certain position,a direct connection may be made between the .conduit 18 and both conduits 15 and 16, or connection may be made between the conduit 18 and conduits 15 and 16 individually. This provides that, with the vehicle engine running anda partial vacuum thereby created in the manifold which is suliicient to actuate the pistons to raise the signal arms, should the valve be adjusted to provide communication between the conduits 18 and 15, the piston 21 will be drawn -inwardly within its cylinder 13 and the arm 7 raised to signaling position. Likewise, adjustment 'of the valve to provide communication between the conduits 1 8 and 16 will cause signaling actuation of the arm 8. `Also ad'ustment of the valve to connect all con uits will simultaneously move both arms to signaling position, as shown in Figure 2, and another adjustment of the valve to disconnect the conduit 18, will permit the arms to fall, of their own weight, to housed position.

In the front of the housing, at its upper end I have inserted a lens 30 and back of this have placed an incandescent lamp 31. This lamp may be placed in a circuit which will be closed by the movement of either arm to signaling position, or it may be in a steady circuit, and with the lens in the device used at the rear of the vehicle colored red, it would serve as the usual tail lamp. In the case of a signaling device used at the the arms when they arev extended, and they may be easily1 seen.

Assuming that the device is so constructed and mounted on a vehicle, it is apparent that when the driver of a vehicle is about to make a turn in either direction, he may signal his intention by moving the valve lever 26 to such position that the valve will make connection 4between the conduit 18 and conduits 15 or 16 which will cause one or the other of the arms 7 or 8 to be raised, to point in the direction he intends to take. If he intends to stop he positions the Valve to raise both arms. Such a device is simple in construction and in operation. It can be easily applied and can be operated without cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A direction indicating device for vehicles comprising in combination with the intake manifold of the vehicle motor, a housing having openings in its opposite sides, a stud lixed within the housing, direction indicating arms pivotally mounted on the Stud to swing in opposite directions into and from the housing, a control valve mechanism havin conduit connections with said manifold, cy inders fixed within the housing, pistons operable within the cylinders and operatively connected with said arms, conduits individually connecting said cylinders and 'valve to provide for actuation of said pistons by vacuum pressure created within said manifold to lift the arms to extended position through the housing openings, and an adjusting lever for the valve to effect individual or simultaneous operation of the arms.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 28th day of March, 1921.

. HARRY G. LEE. 

